Hiroshima

prefecture, Japan

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Hiroshima, ken (prefecture), southwestern Honshu, Japan. The Chūgoku Range runs along the northern boundary, and delta plains of the Ōta River are extensively developed along the Inland Sea in the south. The city of Hiroshima, situated on the plain, is the prefectural capital and centre of the region’s largest conurbation.

Agriculture (rice, oranges, chrysanthemums, rushes, and cattle) supports most of the population. There are shipyards at Kure and Onomichi and on Inno Island. The prefecture encompasses several offshore islands, including Itsuku Island (also called Miya), noted for the Itsuku Island Shrine and other shrines and temples. Area 3,273 square miles (8,477 square km). Pop. (2010) 2,860,750.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Kenneth Pletcher.